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Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device
Published on: July 20, 2021
Tailor-made anion-exchange membranes for salinity gradient power generation using reverse electrodialysis
Enver Guler1, Yali Zhang, Michel Saakes
1Membrane Science & Technology, Mesa+, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Chemsuschem
|October 31, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed novel anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) for reverse electrodialysis (RED), a sustainable blue energy technology. These tailor-made membranes achieved a higher power density than commercial options, demonstrating their potential for efficient energy generation from salinity gradients.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Sustainable Energy
Background:
- Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a sustainable technology generating energy from salinity gradients (e.g., seawater and river water).
- The efficiency of RED heavily relies on the performance of ion-exchange membranes (AEMs and CEMs), which are currently not optimized for this application.
- Developing effective AEMs is crucial for advancing RED technology due to their complexity in preparation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and develop novel, tailor-made anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) for improved RED performance.
- To propose a safe and environmentally friendly method for AEM synthesis.
- To evaluate the performance of these custom AEMs in a RED system and compare them with commercial membranes.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized AEMs using halogenated polyethers, specifically polyepichlorohydrin (PECH), as the starting material.
- Introduced ion-exchange groups and achieved simultaneous cross-linking using 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) via amination.
- Characterized membrane properties including area resistance and permselectivity.
Main Results:
- Developed a series of AEMs with area resistances ranging from 0.82 to 2.05 Ω·cm² and permselectivities between 87% and 90%.
- Demonstrated the successful application of these tailor-made AEMs in RED for the first time.
- Achieved a high power density of 1.27 W·m⁻², outperforming commercially available AMX membranes.
Conclusions:
- Tailor-made ion-exchange membranes, particularly AEMs, show significant potential for viable blue energy generation via RED.
- The developed synthesis method offers a safer and more environmentally friendly approach to producing high-performance AEMs.
- Optimizing membrane properties, such as thickness, can further enhance power output in RED systems.
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